The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-04-05
DEATHS BOINGS.
william Rice Ward Pays the Last
Debt of Nature.

William Ward, one of the oldest
and best known residents OF Sedalia,
died to-day at 2:40 a. M, at th G
residence Of his son-in-law, David
Blocher, aged "a years.
VIM. Rice Ward was born in
Gooseland county. Virginia, on the
18th day of December, 1892. He
left there with his parents when an
infant, and in 1874 settled in Ken
lucky, five miles f-2m Harroisburg.
There he remaincI anil 1899, when
he removed - Jessamine county,
near Mt. Pr.>ant. In 1917 his faith
er came ~ Galloway county, in this
state, where he (William) located at
Boonville, and remained Tor two years,
working in a blacksmith shop. From
there he went to Boone county, eight
miles west of where Columbia now
stands, and lived there until 1910,
working as carpenter. While there
in March, 1885, he was married to a
most estimable lady. In the fall of
1910 he removed with his family to
a point three miles this side Of Browns
vile, in Saline county, where he
farmed, remaining until 1916, when
be came to this (Pettis) county, and
purchased farm near that owned by
Col. Houston, at Houstonia. In 1868,
he traded for farm In Bates county,
which he had never seen. He visited
it a little while after that and
found that he was jumping from the
frying pan into the fire. He remain
ed there, however, about two years,
or until 1865, when he removed to
johnson county, stopped there until
1870, when he came to Sedalia and
since that year he had resided here.
Mr.. Ward was the father of nine
children-five girls and four boys.
While residing near Col. Houston, in
1858, his wife died. He voted for
the first time at Boonville, in 1919,
when Missouri was a territory. He
cast his vote on three occasions for
Gen. Jackson, and voted for every
subsequent democratic presidential
candidate up to 1864, when he was i'll
and could not visit the polls. At that
time he had experienced a change
in politics, and would have then voted
for Lincoln. In speaking Of the feel
ing prevalent at that time, Mr.. Ward
once told the writer that there was
but one vote cast for Lincoln in
Brownsville precinct when he ran for
his first term, and the man who cast
that one vote came near being mobbed
for so doings He voted for Grant
twice, and also voted for Hayes and
Garfield.
In speaking of the past, Mr.. Ward
informed the BAzoO representative on
one occasion, that in 1918, at what is
now Boonville, there were only two
or three shanties, The whole country
being populated with Indians, all of
whom were friendly with the whites.
Mr.. Ward was a Universal
list, and became convert
ed at the time of the debate
between Campbell and StrIngle, and
in speaking of it he related several
incide.- is. He believed that every
body would be saved eventually. To
illustrate the changes that had taken
place in the doctrines of the church,
Mr.. Ward said that he could remem-
Der, years ago, Of attending worship,
and, when he would 60 to leave the
edifce, he could almost shake helrs
fire and birthstone from his coat tails,
and as he told it he laughed, adding,
"but it's all changed now"
He was an inveterate consumer of
tobacco, having chewed for nearly
seventy-ive years. Intoxicating
liquors he partook of only sparingly,
and be had been heard to say
that he was never under their in
fiuence but once in his life.
Mr.. Ward built the first paper mill
in this section of the country, it being
located at Rock Greek bridge, FIVE
miles from whereth city of Columbia
now stands. 1t was owned by Messrs.
Lamm q Kaiser and was finished by
Mr.. Ward in September, but burned
during the winter 1888.
All ofMr. Wards ancestors lived to
a ripe old age, his grandfather dying
at the age of ITO years. In many re-
spects Mr.. Ward was a remarkable